My box of chocolate bars arrived from England today. Cadbury Twisted bars. “Creme egg goo twisted in a chocolate tube.” Worth every euro.
I think I’ll start this week with the biggest, boldest, most earth-shattering headline of the day. President Obama and Vice President Biden went out for burgers today. That’s right, burgers. A burger run, made national news headlines. Apparently, no other president or vice president in the history of the Republic has EVER gone out for burgers. The press core even felt it necessary to report exactly what the president and vice president ordered, that the president was initially disappointed that Ray’s Hell Burger didn’t serve fries, but was placated with cheese and tater puffs, and that he offered to feed all the reporters on his tab despite the offer of an on-the-house meal from the owner. I guess nothing else happened in the world today. Mighty swine flu has been dethroned by a presidential cheeseburger.
Late last week Supreme Court Justice David Souter sort-of-but-not-really announced that he will retire from the court at the end of the term this summer. While not the oldest judge on the court at a relatively youthful 69, Souter has never cared much for Washington D.C., preferring to spend his time huddled away in his New England cabin scribbling thoughts on parchment with his fountain pens. One might think that there would be a certain period of time allotted for quiet reflection upon the nineteen year career of a distinguished Supreme Court justice. Of course, if one thought that, he or she was probably born yesterday and needs to lay off whatever it is he or she puffing. Souter had not officially informed the President or the public of his resignation when talking points and ads against perceived potential nominations hit the airwaves. The cable news pundits were already formulating the “short list,”Congressional Democrats were extolling the virtues of any number of pro-choice female Hispanic candidates and Congressional Republicans were demanding the President select a “strict constructionist” threatening to oppose any nominee that didn’t fit that mold.
Nothing breaks out the boxing gloves out in D.C. like a good old Supreme Court nomination battle. This is President Obama’s first opportunity to leave a lasting impression, and the GOP’s first real opportunity to unify around a single issue. However, this confirmation battle has the potential to deviate slightly from others in recent memory. Since Souter more often than not sided with the more liberal wing of the court on most issues, the appointment of a liberal-leaning judge to replace him would not alter the ideological make-up of the court. And, there is evidence to suggest that in a time of economic and employment uncertainty, the public has less of an appetite for watching representatives bicker over code words for pro-choice and pro-life candidates like “judicial activism” and “strict constructionist.”
Thus far, in spite of all the problems present in this country, the President has gotten the best of the Republican party. Since last October, the percentage of Americans who feel the country is headed in the right direction has jumped from 17% to 48%. Obama’s job approval ratings are in the upper 60s and his personal approval ratings are even higher. Meanwhile, despite a rebranding effort based on communication new ideas like tax cuts and further privatization, Republican approval numbers continue to be dismal. The President is playing them like Sun Tzu did the armies of Chu, and the Republicans either don’t realize it, or are incapable of preventing themselves from taking the bait. I understand that it is the job of the loyal opposition to oppose the party in power, but since that has done such a spectacular job of not working, perhaps they should try something different. Realizing that this Supreme Court appointment isn’t going to alter the make-up of the court, and that there is absolutely no chance of replacing Souter with Scalia lite, perhaps Republicans could try a less aggressive resistance to whatever semi-reasonable nominee the President eventually submits for confirmation. That might give some people the impression that at least on occasion, they are more than just the Party of No.
Quote of the week, from Press Secretary Robert Gibbs last week regarding Biden’s comments on not flying or riding the train due to the threat of swine flu: “I think the Vice President misrepresented what the Vice President wanted to say.” Why are people still surprised that Joe Biden says stupid things? Biden has been saying stupid things for as long as anybody can remember, and he certainly isn’t going to stop saying them simply because he’s vice president. We all knew what we were signing on for. Laugh it off and move on.
Apparently Rush Limbaugh is of the opinion that Sarah Palin is the most prominent and articulate voice for good old-fashioned American conservatism. Ouch. If Sarah Palin is conservatism’s most articulate defender, conservatism has less of a chance at a comeback than the Detroit Lions have of winning the Superbowl.
I haven’t talked much about hockey this playoff season. Mostly because my team has already been eliminated. But there are some great series being played that deserve mention. Chief among them, Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovechkin vs. Crosby. I don’t particularly care for either team, but I can’t take my eyes off this series. It is a crying shame that this match-up couldn’t play out for the Stanley Cup. Anyway, I’m holding out for a Boston/Vancouver final. I’m sure I’ll end up with the league’s dream scenario of Washington versus Detroit, but one can always hope.
Remember Miss California? Not too long ago she made news for an incredibly inarticulate defense of traditional marriage in answer to a question posed by pageant judge and faux-lebrity Perez Hilton. Mere days after her adoption and (self?)exploitation by opponents of same-sex marriage, word is that she failed to disclose to pageant officials that she had previously posed for nude photographs. All pageant contestants are required to inform pageant officials if they have previously taken nude photographs. Failure to do so is grounds for disqualification, so it appears as though Miss California is on the verge of being stripped of her crown. For her part, Carrie Prejean again claims she is being persecuted for her Christian beliefs, that the release of the pictures is part of a “vicious and mean-spirited” effort to silence her. You know what, all that may be true. I don’t know, and I don’t care. I don’t care that she’s an inarticulate advocate of traditional marriage. I don’t care that she had nude pictures taken of herself - in fact, I encourage it. But what I don’t understand is how Miss Prejean squares her Christianity with her beauty pageant participation. How is it that breast augmentation, topless photos, and strutting up and down a catwalk in a bikini sexually objectifying herself DO NOT conflict with her Christian notions of modesty, sexual purity and reflecting Christ with her actions? I submit that it might be Miss California’s hypocrisy, not her values many people have objected to.
Finally, last week a Rochester, New York television station ran a story on a local Popeye’s restaurant which had run out of fried chicken during a promotion and closed it’s doors for the remainder of the afternoon. The station sent out a camera crew and a reporter to interview angry customers lining up in the drive-thru only to discover there was no chicken. Of course, people were angry. Cheap chicken was promised, no chicken was available, who wouldn’t be upset. Responses ranged from patrons simply deciding to travel to another restaurant location, to irate individuals ranting about how Popeye’s promised cheap chicken, but didn’t order enough chicken and now there wasn’t any chicken and how on earth were they supposed to feed their kids and care for their families and yada yada yada. The problem? Of the dozen people interviewed for the story, every single one of them was black. For those of you who don’t know, there is an old cartoonish stereotype about black people loving fried chicken. And many viewers felt that such a story simply played into that stereotype. That may be true, but it’s painfully obvious that there is more than enough stupidity to go around with this story. I don’t think there’s much (if any) news value in a running a story about a fast food restaurant temporarily running out of chicken. And asking 12 people for their opinion on a fast food restaurant temporarily running out of chicken strikes me as nothing short of gratuitous. But just because someone gives you a microphone and a camera and the opportunity to make an ass of yourself, doesn’t meant you have to do it. Don’t go on camera ranting about how you now can’t feed your family because Popeye’s ran out of chicken. That makes you look like a lunatic. Don’t hand over your dignity on a silver platter. At least make them work for it. And by the way, who in their right mind calls their local television news crew when Popeye’s runs out of chicken? Never mind. I think I answered my own question.
